Voice 21 Oracy
We are a Voice 21 Oracy School as part of the Voice North East project.
What is oracy?
Oracy means being able to speak well and listen well. It is how we share ideas, explain our thinking, ask good questions and work with other people. Just as we teach children to read and write, we believe talk needs to be taught too.
Our partnership with Voice 21
Kells Lane Primary School is a Voice 21 Oracy School. Voice 21 is the UK's leading oracy education charity. It works with schools across the country to help every child find their voice, whatever their background or starting point. We joined the programme in 2025.
Being part of Voice 21 means oracy is built into everyday school life, not added on. Our staff receive ongoing training, and we share ideas with a national network of schools committed to high-quality talk.
Why oracy matters at Kells Lane
Our motto is Find Your Remarkable, and confident talk is a big part of that. When children can put their ideas into words, they understand their learning more deeply, build stronger friendships and feel ready to take on new challenges.
Oracy also links closely to our school values:
- Brave: speaking up, sharing an opinion and trying out new ideas aloud
- Curious: asking questions and building on what others say
- Ambitious: using rich vocabulary and talking like an expert in every subject
- Empowered: knowing that their voice matters and will be heard
- Resilient: keeping going in a discussion, even when it is tricky or someone disagrees
We know that not every child arrives at school with the same chances to talk and be listened to. Teaching oracy helps make sure every child, not just the most confident, has the skills to succeed in school and beyond.
Learning to talk and learning through talk
In our classrooms, children:
- learn to talk by being taught the skills of good speaking and listening, such as using the right tone, choosing words carefully and taking turns
- learn through talk by discussing, explaining and reasoning in every subject to deepen their understanding
Teachers plan talk carefully. They model it, give children sentence stems and roles in discussion, and build up their skills step by step from Early Years to Year 6.
The Oracy Framework
We use the Voice 21 Oracy Framework, which breaks talk into four areas:
- Physical: voice, body language and eye contact
- Linguistic: vocabulary, grammar and choosing the right language for the audience
- Cognitive: organising ideas, giving reasons and building an argument
- Social and emotional: listening, responding to others and speaking with confidence
How you can help at home
- Talk with your child about their day, and ask "why?" and "how do you know?"
- Share stories and chat about books together
- Give your child time to finish their thoughts before jumping in
- Encourage family discussions at mealtimes or on the way to school